Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters.
Hello Melinda!
Finally, after what seemed like three hours I made a sharp right turn onto Melinda's road. "We're here..." I sang with a smile as I pulled in the driveway beside a blue Honda care. Ever since she found out her heritage information and wills and awards her family received—all of which were handed down to her she must have gotten a new car. Double converted her money like I did, but I doubted she had to ask Bill, she was talented in that area all on her own.
"This is where she lives?" George asked as I nodded as I looked around for signs of neighbors. Not that there was anything strange with our appearance; although I had to practically force both twins into something simple like Ron wore rather than jackets and ties like they usually wore.
"Yeah" I said as I hurried up the few small steps. "It's really nice" I said as I knocked twice.
"Ready" Fred asked with a wink as he took a step back. I looked on my other side; George was smirking as he too stood behind me. I listened as I heard footsteps walking toward the door. As quickly as the door opened it closed. I looked over at Fred who shrugged and then George who tilted his head slightly but looked more amused than surprised.
I knocked again but it was another minute before the door opened again. This time more slowly, Melinda peeked her head out.
"Surprise" George shouted as Fred nearly bombarded his way inside. "Wow! A real life muggle home!" he said from inside. "George, come look at this!" George ran in, Melinda only stepping aside out of shock.
"Hey" I said to her as casually as I could as I listened to the twins in the background running around and commenting on various items.
"Hi" Melinda said just as casual.
"Can I come in?" I asked, even though the twins were already inside.
"Sure, c'mon" she replied moving aside to let me in. Once inside I looked back at Melinda who was closing the door, not really looking fazed by the sudden intrusion of the twins or their loud voices.
"You know we're not a hallucination, right?" I whispered with a smile.
"Oh thank God…" she said nearly falling on the couch. "I thought maybe I had been gone too long or maybe they somehow used magic or maybe you were using magic." I shook my head. "Or something with Margret…"
"No, it's really them, us" I said with another smile as I watched her finally relax and smile back. "It's good to see you again" I added.
"Yeah, you too. I was going to write, but, I wouldn't know how to get the letter there, and well, I wouldn't know what to say anyway. I mean, I never meant to end on bad terms—" I held my hand up.
"It's fine. You had every right to be mad. I only wish you stuck around to hear me get banned from the Manor" I said with a smirk as her eyes widened.
"No…" she said in shock. I nodded.
"Yep, he was mad that I told him he was a dick" I explained.
"For the whole summer?" she asked again I nodded.
"I've been at the Weasleys—who seemed too excited to have me there—but then I came back here so I could get some business done" I said with a wide grin.
"And you came to do business with those two—hang on—" she paused and looked around. "It's too quiet…" she said.
"I hope you didn't leave any clothes you don't want George seeing scattered around your room" I joked but Melinda's eyes only got bigger as she started for the stairs. I shook my head as I hurried after her.
As expected the twins had found their way into Melinda's room, the television was still on, it looked like some sort of anime show. I didn't stare for too long because I noticed Fred was attempting to type on a black screen while George was shuffling through the various bottles of perfume on Melinda's dresser. "Fred, stop that, it's not even on! And George, put those down before you hurt yourself" she said walking over to George who only seemed more interested in the bottles.
"Melinda, how can I possibly hurt myself with this little thing?" he asked, as he brought one up to his face, the little nozzle at eye level. Just seconds after he said it he pushed the top and perfume sprayed into his eye. Dumbass I thought to myself as I smirked at him.
"That's how" Melinda replied while shaking her head. I couldn't help but let out a laugh as George stumbled back, half falling, half sitting on Melinda's bed. But he instantly recovered once he realized he was on Melinda's bed. "Nice bed you got here" he said as he rubbed his eye smiling up at Melinda.
"Thanks, now get up so I can fix the covers and pillows" she said as she moved closer but George didn't budge, only smiled wider.
"Been laying in here recently?" he asked, his grin wider. I looked at Fred who seemed only half interested in George's attempt at flirting.
"Okay, ignoring you, why are you here?" she asked, but then turned to me. I sighed and leaned against the arm of the chair Fred was sitting in.
"We've missed you and wanted to pop in say good afternoon" I joked.
"Right, and you just happen to get a new car for the occasion?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, her tone light.
"Yep" I said still not letting off my joke. We continued to look at each other, I was trying to figure out the best way to tell her she belonged in the wizarding world while she was probably trying to make up every reason to stay in the muggle world. A few more seconds passed before George spoke up.
"This is worse than History of Magic. Liny, we want you back—"
"Don't call me that anymore" she said quickly. For a moment you could see the visible look of hurt clear on George's face, but it quickly disappeared as he went back to rubbing his eye, still talking.
"We want you to come back, you don't exactly fit in here anymore, you used to but you've changed. You belong with the wizards now" he said proudly.
"No, I used to belong there, but this is my home now" she said firmly.
"This was always your home Melinda, if you forgot that do you really think you ought to stay?" Fred asked his voice gentle.
"Did Draco put you up to this?" she asked; I shook my head.
"Yes, because he's talking to us" George said sarcastically as he put the bottle of perfume back up on the dresser, but away from the other bottles.
"I can't go back guys, I'm sorry" she said turning awa slightly.
"We'll kidnap you if it comes to it" George mumbled.
"What?" she asked, looking at him in disbelief.
"You heard me" George said, a little louder this time.
"I don't want to go back, okay?" Melinda said but George just shook his head, rubbing his eye quick before speaking.
"No, it's not okay, damnit Liny, we've missed you. I've missed you. You're too smart for all of this. You can't tell me you're truly happy here, without magic, without your friends?" he asked, but Melinda just turned away.
"If this is about Margret, you got her letter, she knows where you are, she's not going to stop, at least back there you can be protected and you can protect yourself. I know it's not a big deal that you can't use magic here, and I know you have friends here but…" I trialed off, I still hadn't quite formulated my plan to get her to come back. "Just, please, we have this year and then next year, and then you can come back here and never see us again" I finally said.
"You could stay too" she said with a smile. I shook my head.
"I don't want to stay. Mainly because Fred would never agree—or he'd drive me insane—but I can't keep him from his family, I can't keep him away from the only life he knows. And I can't come back here either. I like it there, I'm proud to be a witch and I want to be ready for when Margret comes for me" I said, the new thought just coming to me. I hadn't given Margret much though, Fred kept my mind quiet busy when he wasn't working and when he was I'd often find myself venturing off with Matt who seemed more than accepting of my company whenever I sent an owl his way.
"Is Mrs. Weasley going to be disappointed if I don't come back?" Melinda asked sarcastically giving the twins annoyed looks.
"Actually, she doesn't know, no one does, well, no adults" I corrected as I thought about the people who did know. Besides the twins, Bill, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Matt were the only people we decided on telling. The twins only agreed on telling Matt because he was a Seer and that way he'd know exactly where we were if any troubles did arise. In fact it was Matt's idea how exactly we should get to America; I even asked if he wanted to go but he made the comment that if Melinda saw him too that might be too much for her to handle. Seeing her now I could see that he was right. I wondered if he had a vision of how this happened. I gave him my emergency cell phone number, and for a wizard he seemed quite adjusted to using muggle devices. "Our usual lot knows" I told her.
"Why did you two decide to come with her?" Melinda asked looking from one twin to the other. I knew their presence got to her more, being there reminded her of the adventures and magic she had started and she could continue.
"We had nothing better to do…" Fred said with a mischievous grin. Melinda shifted on her, unsure as to how to reply, and the rest of us fell silent, the sound of the television seemed to grow. I absently stared at the screen as the blonde haired boy character spoke. "Twins with too much time on their hands are the devil" the animated character said.
"Right you are old chap!" George cheered, now looking at the television, waiting for the boy to say something else.
"You do know he wasn't responding to what Fred said, right?" Melinda asked walking over to the television to mute it.
"Is that the picture thing you were talking about?" Fred asked with a frown.
"It's called a television, it's just pictures, like the moving photos we've taken, only, longer and they talk more, as if they were acting out a play, not as if they're trying to have a conversation with you" I explained for the fifth time.
"Liny, where's your bathroom?" George asked standing up, obviously now bored with the idle discussion. "You know; the 'one where it all started'?" he asked raising and lowering his eyebrows as he grinned at her.
"Oh go on," she said pushing him out of the room. "And stop calling me that!" she added now turning to Fred. "And you, out too" she said shooing him out the door. Unlike George he happily strolled off and down the stairs, I could only imagine what sort of thing he'd get into next.
"I won't force to come back, I just want to remind you what you're giving up, we really do miss you. Forget about Margret and Draco—"
"I can't!" she said annoyed.
"For a minute, just forgot about them. I have, c'mon, there has to be reason you'd want to go back" I said but she just sat on her bed. "Melinda," I started pulling my chair closer. "Remember when we were thirteen and all of this was impossible? Remember everything we've been through since we touched that faucet?" Even though she wasn't making eye contact I knew she was listening and remembering. "Well, we'll living out the biggest fantasy I know, and though every event that has happened has been completely unpredictable I'm just waiting for the next one. You know nothing is impossible now, but if you stay here you're just proving to everyone you don't believe any of it."
"But I do!" she exclaimed, her eyes a little watery.
"Then why are you staying here? You're from a long line of Ravenclaw legends. Whether it ends here or keeps going is up to you" I said finally standing up. "Like I said, I'm not here to force you to come back, but I will guilt trip you as much as possible" I said with a small smile.
"I'm sorry…" she said again in a low voice not looking at me. I half smiled before heading down the steps. Fred was playing the water cooler while George was opening and shutting the microwave.
"So you decided—where is she?" George asked when he turned around to see me standing there by myself. I looked up at the ceiling, almost certain I could hear feet moving around hastily.
"Is that suitcase still in my car?" I asked Fred as I ignored George's glare. Fred nodded and started to make for the door but we all turned at the sound of Melinda's approach, a suitcase in each arm, her eyes still glossy.
